Masson House, Napier

The city of Napier, on New Zealand's North Island, is a deco lovers delight. Most of the town was destroyed by an earthquake in 1931 and the subsequent rebuilding program was mostly completed in Art Deco style.

Masson House was designed by E A Williams in 1931. It is a simple elegant two storey building with row of shopfronts at street level. The upper level has a series of windows with plain, almost old-fashioned decoration. Certainly the central window, which has the most decoration appears to have come from an earlier period.

The central section of the facade sits higher than the symetrical wings. Where these two elements join, there are three steps down in height but also three steps back from the street.

The most deco elements are the relief panels on each wing with a geometric wave pattern and the name of the building on the central section in lovely stylised lettering.